The Houston Rockets are still alive in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, two wins away from a historic comeback.
After falling behind early, Houston rallied to win Game 5 by a score of 99-93, forcing a Game 6 in a series they once trailed 3-0. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit, but the Rockets will attempt to continue their comeback on Friday.
They have already made some history, though. Prior to Wednesday, no visiting team had defeated LeBron James in a closeout game since 2008.
Sheppard’s Fourth-Quarter Spark
Jabari Smith Jr. paced Houston with 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting, while every other starter scored in double-digits. It was Reed Sheppard, however, who provided the pivotal swing in the fourth quarter.
Immediately after the Lakers trimmed the deficit to three points, with the Crypto.com Arena energised, the point guard hit a pull-up jumper over Lakers centre Deandre Ayton. Sheppard then stole the ball from LeBron James and finished with a breakaway dunk to increase the lead back to seven.
Reaves Returns for Lakers
The Lakers welcomed back Austin Reaves for Game 5.
The guard had been sidelined since April 2 with a Grade 2 oblique strain, but returned sooner than anticipated. Los Angeles are still missing Luka Dončić, but there had been concerns Reaves wouldn’t be back in time for postseason play.
Reaves, who was second on the Lakers in points per game in the regular season, came off the bench but played starter-level minutes. He had 22 points and six assists.
Şengün’s Lesson from Game 3
There might be some regret for the Rockets, as they would have been trying to close out the series in Houston had they not struggled in Game 3. Star centre Alperen Şengün said the team had learned a lesson.
“We had that bad mistake in Game 3, but we learned. … Everybody feels amazing. Nobody’s tired,” Şengün said.
Durant’s Status Uncertain
Like the Lakers with Dončić, the Rockets are without their leading scorer in Kevin Durant, who has only played in one game this series. He remains out with both a left ankle sprain and bone bruise, and it is unknown if he will be back for Game 6 (or 7).
Thunder Await
Regardless of the series outcome, Wednesday’s result means two fewer days of rest for the next series. The Oklahoma City Thunder await in the Western Conference semi-finals, and they are probably content with what happened on Wednesday.
- Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points.
- Austin Reaves also scored 22 points for the Lakers.
- LeBron James became the first player to reach 500 career playoff steals.
LeBron James holds several NBA records, including playoff steals. James became the first player to reach 500 for his career in the second quarter, with no other player in league history even reaching 400 career steals in the postseason.